From Hafizah Kamaruddin
MAKKAH, Sept 3 (Bernama) — Tabung Haji (TH) has hired 2,422 individuals to perform the Haj on behalf of the deceased or those who are chronically ill or handicapped for this year’s Haj season.
Shahrul Azam Noorzeli, TH’s manager for this seaon’s Haj programme in Makkah, said the selected individuals for the Haj badal were Asian Muslims staying in Saudi Arabia and had done their Haj and able to recite the Quran and “doa” perfectly, as well as well-versed in all the Haj rites.
“They have gone through the interview for tight screening by the Haj Consul’s office in Jeddah since April,” he told the Malaysian media, here, Tuesday.
He said this was to ensure that only qualified individuals were hired so that they could fulfil the necessary conditions of the Haj rites, to enable the deceased or those who could not perform the Haj due to sickness to achieve mabrur Haj (Haj that is accepted by Allah).
Shahrul Azam, who is also TH’s manager for Islamic Affairs, said TH also ensured that each of the individuals hired would perform the Haj for only one person and not a few since this arrangement was not allowed in Islam.
These individuals are each paid 2,400 Saudi Riyal (SR) (RM2,021) to carry out the Haj rites, and the first payment of 1,000 SR (RM842.24) for the service rendered had been given out to them since Sunday until Tuesday.
The final payment will be made after the Haj programme ends in October and all payments are made electronically.
Haj is one of the five tenets of Islam, and performing it is obligatory for every sane and financially abled adult Muslim.
However, Haj badal is only allowed for Muslims who are ill with no hope of recovery, are physically incapable or who have passed away, but not on behalf of those who are poor or unable to do it because of political or security circumstances.
Shahrul Azam said TH had opened the request for Haj badal from Malaysians on May 1 via its online service and the Malaysians concerned were being charged RM2,500 each for the service, including the administrative cost.
— BERNAMA
